Aftermath
by Audra Lachesis
Summary: There was something to be said for the old adage about doctors making the worst patients.


**Title:** Aftermath

**Pairing:** gen; pre-Beckett/Weir if you tilt your head and squint

**Spoilers:** mild references to season three episodes, up to 'Progeny'

**Notes:** Written for starrylizardLJ for the icawLJ Ficathon, who requested _'Carson goes offworld, the natives seem friendly, but they are hiding something, hurt/comfort or angst with a happy ending, Carson has to use his ATA gene, he's a reluctant hero at some point, extra points for mentioning the word "kilt" or his mother's cooking.'_

*****

There was something to be said for the old adage about doctors making the worst patients.

It wasn't that Carson didn't appreciate the concern, or that the Atlantis doctors were incompetant -- far from it, he had every confidence in their abilities. He just wasn't accustomed to being on the receiving end, and it made him irritable. Rodney McKay in full hypochondriac tirade? He could handle that, no problem. Submitting to his own nurses' efficient care, however, was decidedly more difficult.

"I'm all right, lass, don't fuss," Carson grumbled, waving one hand at the nurse on call. She rolled her eyes and gave him a look, of course, but left the bandages alone.

"Does someone want to explain to me how you managed to get third-degree electrical burns on an agrarian, pre-industrial planet?" Elizabeth Weir crossed her arms over her chest as she hovered in the doorway of the infirmary and lifted an eyebrow at Carson.

"Bad luck?" Carson countered grumpily. "Coupled with native paranoia and the Ancients' prediliction for hiding things, I'd say."

Elizabeth shook her head as she pulled a chair over and settled into it beside Carson. "Colonel Sheppard mentioned some sort of Ancient medical lab the Freisens didn't want any of you to see," she said. "He didn't get around to explaining the electrical burns, though," she said wryly.

"Power surge when I tried to turn the bloody machines _off_," Carson sighed. "I'm sure Rodney could explain exactly what went wrong in excruciating detail."

"Oh, I'm sure he will," Elizabeth replied, the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement. "Unfortunately, he's a bit busy going through all the data he managed to download from the lab's systems before you -- turned everything off," she chuckled. "So why don't you enlighten me?"

Carson sighed again. "The equipment was incredibly old, I'm not certain it was ever meant to be turned off," he admitted. "Part of the reason the Freisens were so secretive about the place -- it lit up like a bloody Christmas tree as soon as Colonel Sheppard and I went in. Scared them all badly, I expect."

"I can imagine," Elizabeth conceded.

"Apparently the whole facility had been running on minimal power for thousands of years -- a bit like Atlantis when we first arrived," Carson clarified. "Just enough power to maintain the systems, but not enough to draw the Wraith. The people there were convinced the Wraith would show up as soon as the lights came on."

"Not a bad assumption, really," Elizabeth said. "That much of a power surge would certainly draw anyone's attention, especially the Wraith."

"Colonel Sheppard stalled them as long as he could, at least, so Rodney could try to salvage the database. The natives got a little restless, though, and, ah -- insisted we leave," Carson said delicately.

"That sounds like an understatement, Carson," Elizabeth accused.

"Maybe just a wee bit. I must admit, I'd not quite believed Colonel Sheppard's claims of being run off planets with pitchforks until now," Carson said. "I think they decided if we left, the facility would go back to minimal power and there wouldn't be anything to draw the Wraith."

"Does it work like that?"

"Not exactly. Once the systems came online, they had to be put back to sleep manually -- or so Rodney said," Carson added.

"So you turned everything off?" Elizabeth lifted an eyebrow again.

"Aye," Carson coughed self-consciously. "Colonel Sheppard had his hands full with the Freisens, I believe, and Rodney wouldn't shut it down until he got everything out of the database -- but I really didn't think the pitchforks would wait that long."

"And that's when you got the electrical burns?"

Carson nodded ruefully. "I planted my hands on the main console to think it 'off', and the whole thing blew up in my face -- literally," he admitted. "I really don't think I turned it off so much as I fried the circuits."

"And yourself in the process," Elizabeth pointed out. "At least we don't have to worry about the Wraith following the energy readings back to the planet; there's nothing left for them to follow."

"And nothing left for us to study, either," Carson lamented. "I didn't get much of a chance to look at the data Rodney was collecting, but considering how well hidden the facility was, I imagine they were up to something big. Whether it was some way to counter the Wraith, or the Asurans, or something else entirely, we may never know."

"Oh, I'm sure Rodney managed to get _something_ useful," Elizabeth said, the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly in amusement. "You'll have to take a look at the data he's retrieving -- as soon as you're back on your feet, of course."

"There's nothing wrong with my _feet_," Carson muttered, stretching out his bandaged arms for emphasis. "A few days and I'll be fine, there's no reason for all this fuss."

"Indulge us," Elizabeth smiled. She got to her feet, one hand briefly dropping to Carson's unbandaged shoulder. "I'll have Rodney copy you on whatever he finds, at least, so you won't be cooped up in here with nothing to do."

"Thank you, Elizabeth -- I'd appreciate that."

Elizabeth turned to leave, but glanced back over her shoulder as she reached the door to the infirmary. "Oh, and Carson? No more heroics, all right?" she grinned slightly.

"Aye," Carson agreed fervently. "I think I can manage that."

***

END


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